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Tuesday, April 1, 2014

How to be Patient with your Writing Career

One of the core triggers for a writer’s insecurity is impatience. There’s a certain desperation to become published. We catch the dream with visions of bestsellers lists, book signings and our book with a snappy cover and our names written across the jacket. This dream, when we let it bloat into the realm of unrealistic timings and overinflated goals, can become our downfall.

This writing dream is a distant location with a long and often arduous journey to get there. We forget the travel and decide all we want is the destination. We want to be a writer more than we want to write.

We forget the joy of writing, the pure pleasure of creating something from nothing, the magic of conjuring worlds and characters, evoking emotions in others, being able to touch people with a poignant scene, to make them laugh or cry and get involved in the story. We’re too busy wanting to get published, wanting to get noticed, wanting to quit our day jobs, or whatever else it is we want right this very instant. When it doesn’t happen fast enough, we start to think we aren’t good enough and will never be good enough. The doubts start to set in and bam, we’re insecure and unproductive. We may even toy with the idea of quitting.

Talent is not a factor when it comes to writing. Some might disagree with me, but I’ll stand by this. A person with a boatload of talent, but is easily swayed by their doubts, won’t go as far as someone with less talent, but a mountain-load of drive. Natural born talent might get you started and might gain you some early accolades, but it won’t help you cross the finish line.

There’s only one way I know to be patient and that’s to enjoy the writing and to just keep writing and doing everything you can to improve. The hike will always be easier when we love it. If we don’t, then we’ll drag our feet and everything along the way will become that much harder.

Daily ask yourself what you want. Daily fall in love with your manuscripts. Enjoy the storytelling process. Be a slave to your stories. Delight in the lack of sleep because you have to wake up in the middle of the night to write down an idea.

You are a writer. Rejoice.

How do you remain patient with where you want your writing to go?
--This post was written for the Insecure Writer's Support Group where we share our encouragement or insecurities on the first Wednesday of the month (I’m day early because of the A-Z Challenge). To join the group or find out more, click here.

You can also link your A-Z posts in the IWSG Facebook threads we will provide.
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I’d also love to share the exciting news that one of my wonderful critique partners, and an amazing writer, Carol Riggs, has signed a contract with Angry Robot’s YA imprint, Strange Chemistry. Her book, The Body Institute, has gone to a brilliant home after a ‘competitive bidding situation’. You can read the announcement here on Publishers Weekly. Congratulations, Carol!

119 comments:

I'm a slow writer - I have to be patient!The published book isn't the destination. It's just one of the things that happens along the way, because there's a lot more before and after. And it's all fun.And thanks for kicking off the IWSG's posts in style!

Oh, good gosh, I suck at this part of writing! I'm so hard on myself, at times, that I discourage the heck out of my progress. Grrr... So thankful for the writer folks in my life. They always talk me down from the ledge. Sheri at Writer's Alley

I have definitely been guilty of all the things you've mentioned here. Slowly but surely I'm pacing myself a bit more now, and enjoying the process of concentrating on one thing at a time. I'm finishing more projects and have even submitted a couple, which has shown me that patience does win through.It's taken a while for me to get to this point, but I think I'm on the right side of it now.

I think one reason a lot of people are eager and impatient to get published is that we hear a lot about people who are "overnight success stories" (though for many of those people, their success didn't actually happen overnight). And there are a lot of writers who achieved success at a young age, like Lena Dunham, which makes other writers feel like they're "behind". I've never been published, but I keep writing because like you, I love writing. It's something that no one can take away from me, unlike so many other things in my life.

Great post, Lynda, full of such important reminders. Why do we write in the first place? Because it's a special love we feel for the process of capturing stories and getting them down. And, while I want my novels to get published, I have found that in the long, patient process, they do get better, and I would much prefer the later versions are out there to be read than the early versions. :-)

I agree that impatience is a definite issue for writers, althoguh not so sure about your statement on talent. Perhaps it depends what you define as "talent." I don't think most writers would get into writing if they didn't intially have some talent, no?

I think it's more about the level of talent. I've read some manuscripts which ooze with talent even though the writer was somewhat new to the game. And I've read others which didn't shine with a natural wow factor. Both types of manuscripts weren't ready for publication.

Years and years for me and it's persistence, and once you're published talent means nothing if you can't market! Getting the word out is also a talent, something some of the worst writers have in abundance and the most talented writers struggle with. No guarantee's anywhere - but if it's a dream - never let your dream fade!

Not sure how much more patience I can stand! Having to put one novel on hold while writing another has been tough. But you can't keep writing novel after novel without being in it for the love of writing. :)

Thanks, Lynda, for hosting this month's Insecure Writer's Support event. I just joined and you're the first post I'm reading in the event and it's very much in line with my thoughts: we need to fall in love with our manuscript, our characters, our story. Otherwise, how else are we going to make our readers fall in love with our characters if we're not in love with them? Cheers!

Whenever I have doubts, and I'm full of them, I read how-to manuals on writing. They are informative, but the best part is they inspire me to do better. Personal challenges and not dwelling on what I can't change get me through the rough spots.

Doubt often drives us to nowhereville. It is the hardest thing to have faith in oneself and not let fear dictate. I am always amazed when people can write and do something creative and not lets doubts take control

Congrats Carol, I have looked at the website in the past and Strange Chemistry has a great selection of books.

I love this part of your post and agree entirely with it.

We forget the joy of writing, the pure pleasure of creating something from nothing, the magic of conjuring worlds and characters, evoking emotions in others, being able to touch people with a poignant scene, to make them laugh or cry and get involved in the story.

I believe this is part of the reason I ended up delaying Sacrifice HER this year, I got so wrapped up in getting it out that my love turned to hate. I'm slowly turning around but I have not touched it since my post about the delay. Yup need more time. But I'm writing other things so that's a plus. I'm a writer first and I could never imagine totally turning against all writing and losing that special magic of creating a new world of character with your mind and a pen.

You are so right and I so fall foul of this impatience myself. I strive and lumber on, but do try to take even the smallest glimmer of hope to heart. That way, I'm energised afresh when otherwise I'd flounder in my own self-loathing (which isn't pretty).

As for your friend Carol: I just love to hear great news like this. Brilliant achievement. X

I don't think anyone is as slow a writer as I am. Took 7 years to write my first. I'm into the 2nd year with my 6th. I've tried lighting a fire under my butt, but that didn't even help. Though, I do have a lovely tan now. Great post, Lynda!

Wonderful article. Patience is not one of my virtues. I get irritated when things aren't going the way I want them to. Must remember to love my manuscript, even when the characters are doing their own thing and not listening to me. :)

I really like your point about talent. I'm breathing a sigh of relief, because I'm not the most talented but I can work like a war horse. And I love seeing myself improve, although I wish it would happen at once. But we must have patience.

I love the exercise of writing. I've never tried to have anything published. My writing releases me...releases my stress. I write in fast spurts and then, I'm done for a while. Now, reading is a different story. I read slowly, envisioning the characters and the scenes. Not too happy about finishing my books, as I want the story to continue~

Awesome post as always, Lynda. I have little talent and academic counseling when it comes to writing. You are correct. I've worked hard, improved my writing, persevered, and I'm am still doing so. Because I love to see the story enfold before me. When I find myself suffering from the drudgery of it all, I step back and wonder if I'm doing the right thing. I need to fall into love with it all over again...and I do...

Patience is something I have a lot of, since I have an almost child-like ability to think everything's going to work out in the end if you keep going. Every once in a while though, when I'm at my lowest, I still wish the process would go faster, just so I can see that it really will work out in the end.

Great post! I constantly struggle with wanting to write and needing to work out of the house.I have just fallen back in love with my WIP. Getting up an hour earlier was tough but I'm starting to enjoy it!doreenmcgettigan.com

this is so good to remember, but so easy to forget! Publishing seems like an unrealistic goal most of the time. On good days, I'm pumped! On frustrating days, it doesn't seem worth it. The highs and lows of a writer, I guess. :-) I just 'liked' your facebook page, so I can stay in touch. I'm writing a book about a Christmas project for families, and might need your input at some point. Come visit me, if you'd like: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Adventures-in-the-Ballpark-Marianne-Ball/394038163950377?ref=hl

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Welcome to Lynda R Young's writing blog. The content includes writing tips, social media tips and some other meanderings. I'm an Aussie and proud of it. All the photos you see on my blog were taken by me unless otherwise stated.